Hello commuters,

Welcome back to another semester at Le Moyne, or welcome to Le Moyne if you are a first-year student! Immersing yourself in campus culture the first few weeks will help you feel welcome and more comfortable, especially if you are a freshman. A few events have already successfully taken place at Le Moyne to kick off the school year.

Opening Night was held on Sunday, August 25, in the Athletic Center’s parking lot. The event was organized by Le Moyne’s Student Government Association, or SGA, to bring Dolphins together after a long summer. Mia Franko, class of 2020 and SGA’s president says, “Opening night went really well. We [student government] made sure to make it collaborative between LSPB, CSO, and RHA. I think making it a collaborative event made it go smoother and allowed us to do better things.” Although freshman commuters have opportunities during Orientation Weekend to get to know their fellow Dolphins, SGA’s effort to combine Opening Night with the Commuter Student Organization helped further integrate commuters into the Le Moyne community. Franko believes it was implemented successfully: “We tried to organize things differently and held it earlier, which got more people there. I think everyone liked the student performers and was more engaged.”

Another event that included participation from a Le Moyne club is the Mass of the Holy Spirit, which was held Wednesday, August 28. “Between Joyful Noise, the club that sings the music every Sunday, we had faculty and administration, as well as community members, alumni, and friends of the college in attendance,” Matthew Wojak, class of 2021 and President of Joyful Noise explains how the mass works. “Seeing them all come and work together despite everyone’s different majors and ages gave us a really nice blend of talent and diversity.” Julia Walsh, the Vice President of Joyful Noise and member of the class of 2020, shares how inspiring the event was: “It was wonderful to have Bishop Lucia at Le Moyne for the first time. The music [Tom Andino] selected and the joy we put into it reflects the joy of the coming school year.” Wojak also recommends that commuters join Joyful Noise. “Between the amount of activities we do, as well as our overall campus presence with the regular meetings we offer, it’s a great way to get involved.” If you are interested in joining, Wojak says to email Tom Andino at [email protected]

Finally, vocal and instrumental auditions following the Performing Arts Center’s Open House were held in the first week of classes. In addition to vocal groups, other clubs will resume soon at Le Moyne and are a great way for commuters to get involved on campus. Attend the annual Club Fair on September 9th at 4:00 on the Dablon quad, or email a club leader or professor for more information on how to make an impact as a Le Moyne Dolphin!